Collar former device



Feb. 21, 1961 E. DAVIS ET AL COLLAR FORMER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMay 51, 1957 G Rm mDAU m wT m S U. E E W CN A RAE uH% Feb. 21, 1961 E.DAVIS ETAL 2,972,437

COLLAR FORMER DEVICE Filed May 31, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N\ ENTOR. E RN EST D AVIS WALLACE F.GAYRING BY HENRY UHLIG COLLAR FORMER DEVICEErnest Davis, Syracuse, Waliace F. Gayring, Minoa, and

Henry Uhlig, Bouckville, N.Y., assignors to Ward Industries Corporation,Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 31, 1957, Ser. No.662,693

4 Claims. (Cl. 223-521) more commonly referred to as the neck band orcollar band. In the pressing of these shirts, either by the manufactureror by commercial laundries and the like,'it is customary to first formthe collar of the shirt into the desired shape on a collar former. Thecollar is left projecting its full height above the plane of thefinished folded shirt. Depending on the style of the collar, this can bewell over an inch. The collar thus rising above the plane of thefinished folded shirt increases the bulk of the one end of the shirt.Considerable storage space is thus required in shipping boxes, bureaus,or clothes presses and the like, and extra care must be exercised whenplacing shirts thus folded on a display shelf in a store. Likewise, muchspace is wasted. If the collar of a shirt thus folded is pushed down orotherwise flattened to any extent, unsightly wrinkles are caused toappear in the collar which are detrimental to the overall appearance ofthe shirt, and the yoke of the shirt is likewise rumpled. Those skilledin the art agree generally that the finished appearance of the collar ofthe shirt constitutes more than a third of the overall quality of thefinished shirt.

Accordingly it is a primary object of the present invention to provide afinished, folded shirt in which the collar lies closer to, and in theplane of the folded shirt body, the back of the collar lying at an anglewithin the range of 55 to 60 degrees. I

It is another object of this invention to form a collar according to theprimary object wherein no unsightly wrinkling of the collar or rumplingof the yoke exists.

It is a further object to accomplish the above rapidly, efiiciently andat a minimum of expense, time, and skill on the part of the operator. 7

A further object of the present invention is to form a shirt collaraccording to the above objects so that the finished shirt is flatter,requires no inserts in the collar, to provide for storing more shirts ina given space or box than possible with previous methods.

These and other objects will be further explained and a betterunderstanding of the invention may be had when the following descriptionis read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

. Figure 1 is a side elevation of a set of collar forming blocks inaccordance with the features of the present invention, the blocks beingin a retracted position.

Figure 2 is a frontal elevation of the blocks in retracted position.

sible collar forming blocks mounted thereon.

2,972,437 Patented Feb. 21 1961 plane of a collar forming section 30 ofa shirt folding table, not shown, is illustrated having a set of expan-It is understood in the art that the top of the collar forming devicelies substantially at the plane of the top of the shirt folding table.The folding machine for which this invention is adapted for use can beany conventional table such as the one disclosed in the Rieck machine,US. Patent Number 2,768,774. vThis being old, no further illustration isrequired nor provided.

With cross-reference to Figures 1-3, a pairof side blocks 20 aredisposed adjacent each other with their bases 21 resting on the foldingtable 30. A guide slot 32 in the table has suitable studs projectingthroughand attached to the bottoms of the side block bases 21. Thesestuds 33 are attached at their lower ends to a suit able mechanism, notshown, for expanding and contracting the blocks laterally, the studs 33thus being moved along the guide slot 32 for directing the blocks 20.Such a mechanism usually comprises a pneumatic cylinder and suitablelinkage actuated thereby for moving the blocks.

A front block 10 is fastened at its base 12 by means of a suitable stud33 projecting downwardly through I or retracted rearwardly towardsthesideblocks 20. it

Figure 3 is a top view of the blocks in the expanded is to be understoodthat all threeblocks are actuated simultaneously. The front block 10 hasa nose piece 11 extending forwardly and downwardly at an angle from aposition near the top of the front block in to its base 12. The frontblock extends backwardly at an angle from the top of the front of theblock, and the portion 13, Figure l, is adapted to retain and engage thecollar band of a shirt placed thereon. The sides of frontblock 10 extendinwardly from the top down as shown at the angle 14- in Figure 2.

The back of the'side blocks 20, Figure 1, incline at an angle, later tobe described in detail, as indicated at 22, and relative to a horizontalplane. The sides of the side blocks 20 also incline at a prescribedangle 23 illustrated in Figure 2.

In the operation of the collar former, the operator prepares a shirt forfolding by placing the shirt, front down, on the shirt folding tablewith the collar being placed over the collar former blocks. These blocksare first retracted either by spring action in the actuating mechanism,or by a pneumatic cylinder actuated by the operator. his to beunderstood that the collar button 36 must first be buttoned. Afterbuttoning the collar button 36, the neck band or collar band 37 of theshirt collar, indicated by the dotted lines 35, is placed so that theportion 13 of front block 10 may be engaged thereat.

The operator then actuates the mechanism, or as the case may be,releases the mechanism, not shown, causing the collar forming blocks 10and 26 to expand. The front block 14} moves forwardly, the portion 13thereof engaging the collar band 37 of the shirt collar 35, and the sideblocks 20 move sidewardly, engaging the back portion of the collar 35.This back portion 39. of the collar 35 is thus caused to assume theangle shown at 22 in Figure 1. This angle 22 lies within the range of 55to 60 degrees. The side portions of the collar 35 are caused to inclineat the angle 23 in Figure 2; This angle is also within the range of 55to 60 degrees. The angle 14 of front block 1t while not being critical,is sufiicient to follow the contour of the collar 35 formed by the sideblocks 20. It is therefore seen that the portion 13 of front block 10and the inwardly inclining angles 23 of side blocks 20 hold the shirtcollar 35 on the blocks when the blocks are expanded.

aware? Figure 3 illustrates the shirt collar 35 being stretchedslightly, or tensioned by the front block and the side blocks 20 beingforced outwardly against the collar 35 when the blocks are expanded. Theback 39 of the collar 35 is outlined by dotted lines around the sideblocks 20, and the front of the collar lies around the portion 13 offront block 16. caused to lie fiat against the shirt.

It has been found that a shirt properly positioned on the collar formerwill have the collar 35formed in accordauce with the objects of theinvention, and that the yoke will not in any way be wrinkled or rumpled.The collar will lie substantially flat along the plane of the finishedfolded shirt, allowing the operator to fold the shirt in such a mannerthat when finished, the collar takes up less space than in previousmethods of collar forming. Thus, a shirt may be placed in a box or otherconfined space with other shirts, allowing more shirts to be placedtherein, and with less chance of wrinkling or other damage to theappearance of the shirts therein.

While a particular modification of the invention has been illustrated,it is to be understood that further modi- The collar points 38 arefications and changes to the device may be made which do not depart fromthe true spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. In a collar molding machine, in combination a front block and a pairof side blocks for forming a collar placed thereon, said blocks beingadapted to be expanded and retracted for tensio-ning'said collar, aportion of said front block being adapted to engage the collar band of acollar placed thereon for holding said collar on said blocks, portionsof said side blocks being inclined at an angle within the range of 55 to60 degrees for forming portions of said collar at an angle of 55 to 60degrees, said collar being placed on said blocks, said blocks being 4expanded for forming said collar whereby said collar lies substantiallywithin the plane of a finished folded shirt.

2. In a collar forming machine according to claim 1, said front blockhaving a portion at the front of said block inclining backwardly at anangle downwardly from the top of said block.

3. Collar forming blocks for a collar forming machine comprising a frontblock, a pair of side blocks, said front block adapted to be guidedforwardly and backwardly in said machine, said side blocks being adaptedto be guided laterally in said machine, the sides of said front blockand said side blocks being formed to extend inwardly and downwardly atan angle from the top of said blocks, a portion of the front of saidfront block being formed to extend backwardly and downwardly at an anglefrom the top of said block, the backs of said side blocks being formedto extend outwardly and downwardly at an angle from the top of saidblocks; whereby a collar formed on said blocks lies substantially withinthe plane of a finished, folded shirt.

4. Collar forming blocks according to claim 3, the angle of said sidesof said side blocks lying within the range of to degrees, the angle ofsaid backs of said side blocks lying within the range of 55 to 60degrees; "whereby portions of a collar formed on said blocks .lie

at an angle within the range of 55 to 60 degrees.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,504,934 Luke Apr. 18, 1950 2,768,774 Rieck Oct. 30, 1956 2,769,585Goldstein Nov. 6, 1956 2,829,809 Freeman Apr. 8, 1958 2,847,150 NeckelAug. 12, 1958 fla

